2023 Cricket World Cup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup
Dates	5 October – 19 November 2023
Administrator(s)	International Cricket Council
Cricket format	One Day International (ODI)
Tournament format(s)	Round-robin and knockout
Host(s)	India
Champions	Australia (6th title)
Participants	10
Matches played	48
Attendance	1,250,307 (26,048 per match)
Man of the Series	Virat Kohli
Most runs	Virat Kohli (765)
Most wickets	Mohammed Shami (24)
← 2019 2027 →

The 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup was the 13th time this major tournament was held. It's a special One Day International (ODI) cricket event that happens every four years. The International Cricket Council (ICC) organizes it.

From October 5 to November 19, 2023, ten national teams competed in India. This was the first time India hosted the entire tournament by itself.

The tournament had two main parts. First, every team played every other team in a round-robin format. After these games, the top four teams—India, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand—moved on to the knockout stage.

In the semi-finals, India beat New Zealand, and Australia beat South Africa. This set up an exciting final match on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In the end, Australia won by six wickets, earning their sixth World Cup title.

The event was a huge success, with over 1.25 million fans watching the matches in person. It also broke TV and streaming records, especially in India.

Getting Ready for the World Cup

Choosing the Host

The ICC announced in 2017 that India would host the 2023 World Cup. India had helped host three previous World Cups, but this was the first time it was the only host country.

A Change in Schedule

The tournament was first planned for early 2023. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the qualifying matches. To make sure all teams had a fair chance to qualify, the tournament was moved to October and November 2023.

How the Tournament Worked

The format was the same as the 2019 tournament. Ten teams played each other once. The top four teams then went to the semi-finals, and the winners of those matches played in the final.

A new rule was added to stop teams from playing too slowly. If a bowling team didn't finish their 50 overs on time, they faced a penalty. They were only allowed to have four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for the rest of the innings.

Prize Money

The ICC set aside a prize pool of $10 million. The winning team, Australia, received $4 million. The runner-up, India, got $2 million. Teams that made it to the semi-finals won $800,000 each.

How Teams Qualified

This map shows the countries that played in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.      Qualified as host      Qualified through the Super League      Qualified through the Qualifier tournament      Played in the qualifier but did not qualify

As the host nation, India automatically got a spot in the tournament. The other nine teams had to earn their places through a qualification process.

Seven teams—Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa—qualified through the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. The last two spots were decided in a qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands won those spots.

For the first time ever, the West Indies, who had won the World Cup before, did not qualify. Other strong teams like Ireland and Zimbabwe also missed out.

How they Qualified	Date	Venue	Spots	Qualified Teams
Host nation	—	—	1	India
ICC Super League	30 July 2020 – 14 May 2023	Various	7	Afghanistan  Australia  Bangladesh  England  New Zealand  Pakistan  South Africa
Qualifier	18 June 2023 – 9 July 2023	Zimbabwe	2	Sri Lanka  Netherlands
Total			10

Where the Games Were Played

The matches were held in ten different stadiums across ten cities in India. The semi-finals were in Mumbai and Kolkata, and the final was in Ahmedabad.

The stadiums were upgraded for the tournament. They got new grass, better drainage systems, new seats, and improved lighting. The ICC also made sure the fields were prepared to handle moisture like dew, so the games would be fair for both teams.

The Group Stage

The group stage began on October 5. The first match was between New Zealand and England, the two teams that played in the 2019 final.

In this stage, every team played against every other team once. Teams earned points for winning matches. After all the games, the four teams with the most points moved on to the semi-finals. India was amazing, winning all nine of its matches.

Final Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	T	NR	Pts	NRR	Qualification
1	India (H)	9	9	0	0	0	18	2.570	Advanced to the semi-finals and qualified for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
2	South Africa	9	7	2	0	0	14	1.261
3	Australia	9	7	2	0	0	14	0.841
4	New Zealand	9	5	4	0	0	10	0.743
5	Pakistan	9	4	5	0	0	8	−0.199	Qualified for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
6	Afghanistan	9	4	5	0	0	8	−0.336
7	England	9	3	6	0	0	6	−0.572
8	Bangladesh	9	2	7	0	0	4	−1.087
9	Sri Lanka	9	2	7	0	0	4	−1.419
10	Netherlands	9	2	7	0	0	4	−1.825

The Knockout Stage

The knockout stage is where the tournament gets really intense. It's a single-elimination format, which means if you lose, you're out.

Host team India was the first to qualify for the semi-finals. They secured their spot after a big win against Sri Lanka. South Africa and Australia also qualified, followed by New Zealand.

	Semi-finals					Final
	1	India	397/4 (50 overs)
	4	New Zealand	327 (48.5 overs)
						SFW1	India	240 (50 overs)
						SFW2	Australia	241/4 (43 overs)
	2	South Africa	212 (49.4 overs)
	3	Australia	215/7 (47.2 overs)

Semi-finals

In the first semi-final, India faced New Zealand in Mumbai. India scored an impressive 397 runs and won the match by 70 runs.

The second semi-final was between South Africa and Australia in Kolkata. It was a much closer game, but Australia won by 3 wickets to advance to the final.

15 November 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard

India  397/4 (50 overs)	v	New Zealand 327 (48.5 overs)

India won by 70 runs Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

16 November 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard

South Africa  212 (49.4 overs)	v	Australia 215/7 (47.2 overs)

Australia won by 3 wickets Eden Gardens, Kolkata

The Final

The final match was between India and Australia at the huge Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India batted first and scored 240 runs.

Australia's turn to bat came next. They chased down the score in 43 overs, losing only four wickets along the way. With this victory, Australia claimed their sixth Cricket World Cup championship.

19 November 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard

India  240 (50 overs)	v	Australia 241/4 (43 overs)

Australia won by 6 wickets Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Star Players and Stats

Many players had an outstanding tournament. Here are some of the top performers.

Top Run Scorers

Runs	Player	Team
765	Virat Kohli	India
597	Rohit Sharma	India
594	Quinton de Kock	South Africa
578	Rachin Ravindra	New Zealand
552	Daryl Mitchell	New Zealand

• Source: ESPNcricinfo

Top Wicket Takers

Wickets	Player	Team
24	Mohammed Shami	India
23	Adam Zampa	Australia
21	Dilshan Madushanka	Sri Lanka
20	Jasprit Bumrah	India
20	Gerald Coetzee	South Africa

• Source: ESPNcricinfo

Team of the Tournament

The ICC picked a "Team of the Tournament" to honor the best players. India's Virat Kohli was named the Player of the Tournament for his amazing batting. His teammate Rohit Sharma was chosen as the captain of this special team.

Player	Team	Role
Quinton de Kock	South Africa	Opening batter/Wicket-keeper
Rohit Sharma	India	Opening batter/Captain
Virat Kohli	India	Batter
Daryl Mitchell	New Zealand	All-rounder
KL Rahul	India	Batter
Glenn Maxwell	Australia	All-rounder
Ravindra Jadeja	India	All-rounder
Jasprit Bumrah	India	Bowler
Dilshan Madushanka	Sri Lanka	Bowler
Adam Zampa	Australia	Bowler
Mohammed Shami	India	Bowler
Gerald Coetzee	South Africa	12th man

See also

In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Críquet de 2023 para niños

• List of Cricket World Cup finals